A question and idea about the Senate race

[safi0]

My question is when is your primary? If you guys have a late primary this could have a very detrimental effect on this race.

My idea comes from my senator Russ Feingold's playbook. I've seen a lot of anger and vitriole about this race. To make sure this doesn't permeate into the campaign have both candidates sign a clean campaign pledge. In this, both candidates pledge not to run any negative or misleading ads about there opponent. If were going to have a primary let's have a good, clean primary where the better man would win. Now here's the key after the primary Hackett/Brown offer this exact same pledge to Dewine. Now, obviously Dewine will decline this, so then you run an ad, saying that you offered him a clean campaign and he turned it down.

[eglide]

1. Ohio's primary is in May

Sherrod Brown has statewide name recognition and was elected as Sec'y of State so he has already won a statewide race. He also has lots of baggage that won't necessarily help him. Hackett may very well get a NRA endorsement which may be good or bad. They will certainly oppose Brown in the primary. Who knows how the senate race will turn out. I personally believe Hackett has a better chance than Brown of taking out DeWhiner but it sure could be an interesting race.

[safi0]

2. May that's great

A full 6 months before the General. If there are any hard feelings between the two they should be long gone by then

[dsc]

3. Brown will likely win the primary easily

since he is near more Democratic voters and thus recognized by them than Hackett is. We end up doing this a great deal and need to re think. At least Brown has some statewide name recognition, we often end up with Cuyahoga, Stark, or Summit county politicans on our statewide tickets who are unknown in Cincy or Columbus.

[OzarkDem]

4. Agree, that's a problem

Perhaps a primary will do a better job of educating voters around the state about our Dem candidates and stand on the issues.

The biggest barrier Dems face in Ohio is the lack of media coverage for its candidates.

[WCGreen]

5. But Sherrod is from Mansfield.....

And represents a really good chunk of central Ohio....

[dsc]

6. He is better than many

I didn't realize he wound up moving to Mansfield. His district has been redrawn so many times it is almost like where's waldo to find where he needs to live to remain in it.

[WCGreen]

8. I meant he is from Mansfield.....

His original Ohio House district was in Mansfield.....

He has represented a lot of central Ohio in Congress....

He is well known in Cleveland even though his district only covers about 5% of Cuyahoga county....

[rg302200]

10. I have been reading

your posts on Brown and I understand where you are coming from. But you must understand where the rest of Ohio is coming from.

I am from SE Ohio and have witnessed a rebirth of the Democrat party here in this part of the state. We have more people supporting us than ever before and that is not only great for us but for the rest of Ohio as well. Which is why Brown should NOT get the support he needs to defeat Hackett.

I know from experience that independents here in my part of the world don't like liberal Cleveland Democrat's and they refuse to vote for them. Think Liberal New Englander in the eyes of a southerner and you will understand where the rest of the state is coming from. No matter how you look at it we need the support of Independents and moderate Republicans to defeat the estalishment and a Cleveland are Dem would not get that support.

People don't want another Cleveland area Dem (no matter what percent of Cleveland he represents) they want some fresh blood. That is why Fingerhut lost to Voinivich in the last election and why we haven't won the governorship in awhile. WE KEEP RUNNING CLEVELAND DEM'S!!!

While I appreciate what they do for progressives we have to stop dipping into this stagnat political pond to find candidates. There are great Dem's across Ohio who should be supported in runs for state wide office, not just Cleveland Dem's.

So please understand that for our great party to have any chance in Ohio we need to have Strickland running for governor as our parties choice and for Hackett to run agains Dewine. They are from different parts of the state that are infested with repukes. If they can win or damn near win in those areas they will be able to win over the state. A Cleveland are Dem. has never had to really face opposition the way Hackett and Strickland have.

NO MORE CLEVELAND DEM'S!!! We need statewide Dem's!

[WCGreen]

11. So, let me get this straight....

You want us to put up most of the money, the largest percentage of democratic voters and then have no say in what is going on....

Build a farm team....

A city council man who enjoyed the lime light for two months does not a statewide candidate make....

I am supporting Strickland, BTW probably end up working on his campaign.....

Although Jerry Springer, A Cincinnati boy, just might jump in the race in early 2005...

Fingerhut lost because no one thought he could win....

No one else wanted to run against Voinovich....

It was the Ohio Democratic Party that pushed Lee Fisher in 1998... Blame David Leland for that, not Clevelanders... We didn't think he could win either....

BTW, it was Clevelanders that stood behind Charlita Tavaris who almost beat Ken Blackwell in 1998 if people from your neck of the woods would have kicked in a few bucks and couple of volunteers....

She was not from Cleveland, BTW...

As for Hagan, there weren't too many people banging down the doors to run against Taft in 2002... We had to put someone on the ticket...

So don't give me any of that North East Ohio Liberal crap....

The South was strong democrat until your people let it slip away...

Or have you forgotten Vern Riffe......

[rg302200]

12. Yes put up the money then get out of the way...

Time to let some fresh blood try new things.

It is because of people like you that Blue88 was formed. You keep running the same people with the same ideas over and over without trying anything new.

The Dem's in my area are just getting back on their feet. When my father was president of the local democrat club we had over 800 members. Then thanks to bad canidates and the repuke's that number slipped to well below a hundred. I, in the span of 3 months, increased membership by 60%. Why? Because we tried new things, got new people to run instead of the same losers who had their shots. And guess what?? They won! Am I calling Brown a loser? No, he DID hold state wide office. But the key word is DID!!!

People from my neck of the woods would love to donate money to a campain but two things usually keep that from happening.

1- They are broke and out of work thanks to the repukes. My county has one of the highest unemployment and low income rates around or..
2- They have never heard of the canidate before because they are not politically educated as me or you.

You have to remember that most voters have short term memories. Since Hackett has been in the news a lot here recently they will tend to move towards him on election day.

I guess you missed the part where I said that I appreciate what Cleveland Dem's have done in the past? Because you sounded pretty defensive. Trust me when I say people in Dewine's district will support Hackett if they are anything like my people in George V's district. Us poor uneducated hill folk tend to like people who have served in the military then turn around and run for office!

But to say that that Hackett is not a statewide canidate because he has only been in the news 2 months is to ignore the success of the repukes. Dubya had no national political experience and won election (or stole however you look at it) TWICE!!!

To defeat the Repukes we must think like a repuke. If what we have tried to do before has not worked then it is time to let someone new have a chance.

And what was the comment about MY PEOPLE??? We are all Dem's here, there is no you and us. I was simply trying to tell you how independents think in my neck of the woods because they propably think the same in Dewine's district. They NOT your base, wins elections. Take for instance my State Rep. Jennifer Garrison. She beat a popular incumbent because she was a breath of fresh air, a great canidate and a person who stole pages out of the repukes play book. Sounds to me like her and Hackett are on the same page and if she could win so can Hackett.

No, I have not forgotten Vern Riffe, I did major in history in college and volunteered for numerous political campaigns. He was a great speaker of the house for many years!

[Kukesa]

13. Welcome to DU, rg. n/t

[WCGreen]

15. Why wouldn't I take offense to what you said...

NO MORE CLEVELAND DEM's....

Well, Sherrod ain't from Cleveland he is from Mansfield.....

As to the rest of it, let's just let the chips fall where they may...

You obviously are much more qualified to talk about this than I am....

I only bring 30 years of political experience to the table...

So, we shall see who wins the primary....

I know that I am putting money on someone I can trust and who I know will vote for democratic principles.....

You are free to do as you please....

The money for political campaigns comes from large donors... The large donors in the state who give to democrats are here in Cleveland... That is what I am saying....

[OhioBlue]

18. you bring 30 years of political experience to the table

if this is the case, then i guess you are in some inner circles of Ohio Dem politics, have some inside info and probably some influence. So, is your support for Brown because of your personal experience and belief that he can win the general, or are you trying to help spread a pro-Brown message on behalf of the campaign or personally loyalty to get Brown elected?

I think it is great that DU has this forum where people with minimal political experience or even just passion to work for change can have a discussion with candidates and Ohio Dem Party insider and people of your experience.

I hope that some of the opinions and personal views that are expressed here can help you help the Ohio Dems Party. I understand your arguments and hope you can understand ours. The DU Ohio forum would have been singing the praises of Brown had he announced earlier and we didn't feel he had made a colossal mistake by changing his decision and derailing the elation that we felt over the decision by Hackett to run for Senate. Also, I was elated that Hackett decided to run, because he is a fresh face, because he is a straight talker, because he is an Iraq war veteran, because he isn't a Columbus or DC insider, because he has the "IT" factor, because I could see my rural, independent family and friends getting excited about him.

I hope the Brown campaign handles their message better in the following days. I still want Hackett, but more importantly want Dems to win.

[WCGreen]

20. I am no longer involved as I was in the 90's and early 00's...

At the time, I was an officer in the party, served on the Board of Elections and ran, unsuccessfully, for the State Senate...

I started out working on Carters first campaign back in 1976... I was a page for three years and even flirted with the Green Party for a while thinking that the dem's had lost their way...

WE were in constant battle with the ODP... They always seemed to back the wrong people and slotted the right people in the wrong slot... But David Leland was close to Clinton and that made all the difference...

Ohio democrats lost the zest back when they lost the elections leading up to the 2002 re-apporchement.... By the time 1994 came and went, the dem's were on the outside looking in...

Things in Ohio have gone in cycles... from one party to the other... This is the longest time that I can remember when one party dominated the whole state... We are due for a change... Hacketts election surprise supports this feeling...

But frankly, I am as frustrated as you are...

Consider this, Sherrod has only lost one race... As usual, in 1990, the year Sherrod lost, the party, and big labor, put all the marbles on one candidate, Tony Celebrezze for Governor... And there was precious little for him... Taft blind sided him and people were in a mood for a change...

The abortion issue killed the Celebrezze candidacy and thus embolden the right wing to drive a wedge between the economic needs of the democrats and the values issues that took front and center as the economy finally started to gain traction... Which takes us to the last missing link in the cog, a sweep in 1994 Ohio Legislative contests...

In this next election, we are going to be coming out of a long expensive winter which, I hope and pray, the dem's can take advantage of... Scandal and malfeasance, although very bothersome to us, meaning people who are passionate about politics, are, unfortunately, a given in politics to most folks.. Look at the indifference to the Delay thing on the part of a overwhelming majority of folks.. To them it is just business as usual..

The main issue coming up in 2006 is gonna be about economics.... About helping people help themselves....

Sherrod is the person to articulate that message because that is the message he has been running on since I first met him in 1978...

Hackett is a good, solid candidate.... But I want to make sure that when the opportunity arises for a dem to take a seat in the Ohio US Senate Delegation, that person is squarely with me on economic issues...

that is why I support Sherrod Brown.

[rexcat]

7. Brown is not well know in SW Ohio...

for that matter we don't get to see much of any Democrats running for State wide election come down to the Cincinnati metro area more than once in an election cycle.

I got to talk to Paul Hackett this weekend and listen to his speech at the Warren County Democratic Party Dinner. If Paul decides to run for DeWine's seat he has my backing with the caveat that I will listen to what Brown has to say since I don't know anything about Brown. If Brown looks stronger than Hackett, which I doubt, I would support Brown. Hackett is refreshing to listen to, lots of substance and no bull.

[Kukesa]

9. Refreshing -- that's what we need,

and we need Hackett, not Brown.

[MeDeMax]

14. cool, I was hoping to see an update on

your JJ dinner. Was it held on the 7th ?

How did the other speakers do ?

[rexcat]

16. All of the speakers were good...

Ted Strickland is not as smooth a speaker as Hackett but he gets his point across. He came by our table and my wife and I had a good conversation concerning evolution vs. intelligent design. My wife and I being strong in the sciences and having two children in pubic school makes this a topic of interest for us. I like Ted. We live in the 2nd Congressional district (Mason) and he was once our Congressional Representative. Then the repukians gerrymandered the districts some years ago and we got stuck with Portman, now we have the bitch of all times, Jean Schmidt.

Paul Hackett was great. He was too the point with no bull.

The biggest surprise of the evening was Subodh Chandra who is seeking the nomination for Ohio Attorney General. I was not expecting much from him but he really got the crowd going, including Hackett. This guy has a great sense of humor and a biting wit. He was merciless with the repukian leadership in Columbus. If anyone gets the chance to listen to him it is well worth the time.

There were two people seeking the Democratic nomination for the 3rd Congressional seat, both from the Dayton area. One, Studebaker (from the car manufacturing family of a past time) is a veterinarian and the other holds a political office in the Dayton area.

[MeDeMax]

17. thnx, I appreciate the summation

good to know.

I recently heard Ted on Soc Sec, he is so so when delivering a speech, but he really engages you well when he goes one on one.

Sounds like Hackett & Subodh have the first part down pat, I haven't seen either in person.

[rexcat]

19. As I stated...

if you get the chance to listen to either one of them to it!